Newsletter

Man robbed of $1,200 after scratch-off win

A man who claimed he hit a four-figure jackpot with a lottery scratch-off ticket was robbed of most of his cash winnings late Monday, according to a police report.

Contacted by telephone Tuesday night, James Wright, 44, said he won $5,000, but the store cashier only had $1,400 on hand. Wright said he spent some of the cash payout, then left the convenience store at East 38th and Habersham streets.

Wright told police that a dark-colored Toyota then pulled up next to him on the street, and a masked man got out.

The unidentified man then fired a gun at the victim three times before approaching Wright and demanding his money, the report stated.

After handing over $1,200 at gunpoint, Wright said, the suspect got back into the car, which went east on Price Street.

The victim recalled seeing several people making calls on their cell phones after he won the money, the report stated. Moreover, the police report said Wright won his jackpot from a "lottery machine," not a scratch-off ticket.

No description of the robbery suspect was available. The police report also indicated two other men were in the Toyota.